SpotCrime - The Public's Crime Map

AI chatbots in report writing, adopting police transparency reforms, fatal police encounters in Wisconsin, police radio encryption, AI deepfakes, link between local news and perceptions of crime, gun violence in the US, MD facial recognition policy, AI added to emergency communications, lack of transparency in police chief hiring, short term impacts of bail reform, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Police officers are starting to use AI chatbots to write crime reports. Will they hold up in court?  (Associated Press) NBPD has yet to adopt transparency reforms recommended one year ago Department falls short on openness, handling officer misconduct, and a new anti-discrimination policy.  (The New Bedford Light) ‘A shoot can be legal. That doesn’t mean it was necessary.’ Fatal police encounters rise in Wisconsin  (Wisconsin Watch) Over and out? Bronx police radios silenced in latest encryption rollout as local journalists fear apocalyptic end to NYC crime reporting  (AMNY) Dall...

Entire police force suspended, police discipline hearings, use of force, FBI crime data, undercounting sex crimes, tracking threats to Congress, how firearms move from legal to criminal use, AI in policing, predicting crime, online discussions about crime and safety, police surveillance, GPS tracking darts, use of force transparency, prosecutorial dashboards, accountability in restorative justice, and more... POLICE CONDUCT ‘Blindsided': A Maryland small town suspended its entire police force. Residents want to know why  (NBC Washington) Serious Chicago Police Discipline Hearings Must Take Place in Public, Judge Rules  (WTTW) Why did more than 1,000 people die after police subdued them with force that isn’t meant to kill?  (AP News) CRIME RATE FBI’s National Crime Data Paints Incomplete Picture  (The Dallas Express) New Orleans police undercounted sex crime data; advocates fear lost funding  (NOLA.com) Congress makes it easier to track threats to members  (...

Basic police data kept secret, sports celebrations violence, violent crime drop, language models on police report writing, gunfire detection, AI surveillance to spot crime, police oversight board, releasing police chase policies, homicide transparency, correctional system oversight, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Officer who stood trial for death of Freddie Gray to oversee Internal Affairs for BPD  (CBS News) Virginia keeps even basic police data secret  (VPM) Names of police who use deadly force could be shielded under proposed law  (Tampa Bay Times) CRIME RATE Shooting after Chiefs’ Super Bowl parade latest violence to mar sports celebrations  (APNews) The “Red” vs. “Blue” Crime Debate and the Limits of Empirical Social Science  (Manhattan Institute) Violent crime is dropping fast in the U.S. — even if Americans don't believe it  (NPR) Dallas’ overall violent crime rate drops nearly 30% — but business robberies increase over last year  (KERA) CRIM-TECH T...

Crime rate, staffing shortage, homicide drop, juvenile curfews, retail theft, police and Google, child firearm deaths, AI in policing, LMPD sued over access to police data, incarceration uptick in Arkansas, and more... POLICE CONDUCT In Louisville, only one person can discipline the police chief  (Louisville Public Media) Amid staffing shortage, Norfolk 911 averaged 750 calls daily in 2023  (WAVY) Will Jackson’s youth curfew lower crime? Research suggests no  (WJTV) CRIME RATE Why It’s Confusing to Know Whether Crime’s Really Up or Down  (Governing.com) 'It is historic': US poised to see record drop in yearly homicides despite public concern over crime  (ABC News) see also:  Homicides Dropped by More Than 10% in America’s Biggest Cities in 2023, Including Chicago  (WTTW) ‘Miami is the safest it’s ever been’: Police chief credits officers, technology for lower crime rate  (Local10) Testimony: Crime Data on Retail Theft and Robberies in California ...

Police contract negotiations, false ticket scandal, police seizures, cash bail, fentanyl, FBI crime data, active shooter, teen curfews, AI to answer calls, real-time crime centers, police records fees, limiting FOIA, investigation into TX prisoner deaths, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Minneapolis city attorney launches probe into source of KSTP story on MPD chief  (KSTP) Yale police union distributes flyers alleging a crime-ridden New Haven during contract negotiations  (Yale Daily News) CT State Police false ticket scandal could jeopardize prosecution of criminal cases  (The Register Citizen) Report: $25.3 million seized by Kansas law enforcement between 2019 and 2022  (WIBW) CRIME RATE Students criticize the University of North Carolina's response to an active shooter emergency  (NBC Washington) Welcome To Crime Data Fall. You've heard of Hot Girl Summer, now the crime data craze is sweeping the land!  (Jeff-alytics) Is Cash Bail Reform Working? Behind the C...

The White House Criminal Justice Statistics Interagency Working Group recently published a report “ Equity and Law Enforcement Data Collection, Use, and Transparency ” discussing the importance of robust data collection, analysis, and transparency in non-federal law enforcement agencies to improve trust and accountability in policing. The report highlights the need for complete, accurate, and reliable data on police activities nationwide as the United States currently has inconsistent data standards and significant gaps in data participation. The report found issues with the current status of collection, use, and transparency of policing data and discusses the challenges and variations in data collection and reporting across different law enforcement agencies. Additionally, it mentions the need for coordination and standardization within the federal data and statistical ecosystem, as well as the role of local law enforcement agencies in data collection and publishing. Without proper ...

Police staffing shortages and woes, misconduct settlements, access to mental health, gun violence data 'unattainable', gun violence trends, retail crime, Broken Windows Theory, procurement issues lead to crime lab backlog, data sharing, life after prison, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Baltimore County reports one set of sexual assault data to the FBI. They tell the public another story.  (The Baltimore Banner) As New York Pays Out Millions In Police Misconduct Settlements, Lawmakers Ask Why They Keep Happening  (ProPublica) Police didn't get defunded but many large departments are shrinking  (NPR) see also:  Report Shows Staffing Issues' Impact on Boston Police 911 System  (NBC10) see also:  'Better offer, with higher pay,' News 13 investigates APD's struggle to recruit and hire  (WLOS)   After Police Killing of Walter Scott, a Department Tries to Rebound  (NYTimes) A Descriptive Study of Police Officer Access to Mental Health Services  (Sp...

Data driven policing, cracking down on crime hotspots, protecting against the Ferguson Effect, how social media shapes perception about crime, the science behind lower crime trends, gun violence, children and violence, state law enforcement data practices, body cam footage, algorithms and bias in criminal justice, and more... POLICE CONDUCT New Indiana State Police squad using data to crack down on crime hotspots  (Fox 59) see also:  Police to rely on data-driven stats to prevent crime  (CBS Miami) LAPD may no longer send armed officers to these police calls  (KTLA) Protecting against the Ferguson Effect: do legitimacy and pro-policing news matter?  (Taylor and Francis Online) How one city cut gun violence in half and may become a model around the country  (KAKE)  CRIME RATE How Social Media Shapes Our Perceptions About Crime  (Stanford.edu) Why are Dallas crime trends down? The chief explains the science behind it - and hints at 4-day work week ...

Using data for more equitable policing, police misconduct whistleblowers, police reforms, filming cops is protected by the fourth amendment, data-driven approach to tackle crime, juvenile violent crime, crime-fighting software illegal in Germany, improving criminal justice data collection, majority criminal cases end in plea bargains, and more... POLICE CONDUCT The Biden administration wants to know how data can be used to deliver more equitable policing.  (GCN.com) Whistleblower: What happens when a police officer breaks the silent code and speaks out about misconduct? This is the story of Cariol Horne, a former Buffalo cop who tried to do the right thing and is paying the price. (Why Don't We Know podcast) San Diego Police Response Times Have Gone Up Drastically  (Voice of San Diego) Police reforms can save lives, save money, and strengthen law enforcement  (The Hill) Fourth Circuit Latest To Say Filming Cops Is Protected By The First Amendment  (Tim Cushing) CRIM...

Police staffing, police training, gun violence across the US, gun violence and mental illness, effectiveness of community based solutions, politics of police statistics, body cam tech 'trash', gun fire detection system, NYPD Citizen-like app, police data collection is difficult, Louisiana Sheriff's violating public record laws, crime data systems in CA, donating organs for shorter prison sentence, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Data shows Minneapolis' "Operation Endeavor" has been successful in its first 90 days  (CBS Minnesota) Why police training in the US falls short compared to the rest of the world: Report  (ABC News) Staffing woes could hinder Baltimore Police reform efforts under consent decree, federal judge warns  (The Baltimore Sun) Raleigh police chief addresses Taser use, de-escalation training in crime update briefing  (CBS17) A former police chief says more police does not mean less crime  (NPR) see also:  Crime Dipped in Subway After Increase in ...

FBI data unreliable, Uvalde body cam footage off limits, search and seizure with no crime in KS, medical records could land women in jail under new abortion laws, gun violence on campus, police surveillance, data lacking to identify racial disparities, civil rights violations in student ticketing, and more... POLICE CONDUCT What Can FBI Data Say About Crime in 2021? It’s Too Unreliable to Tell. Nearly 40% of law enforcement agencies around the country did not submit any data in 2021 to a newly revised FBI crime statistics collection program.  (The Marshall Project) Texas police want to block officers’ body cam footage of Uvalde massacre response being released to the public  (Independent) Denver police giving out Advance Auto Parts gift cards instead of tickets for broken tail lights  (KDVR) Police lethal violence against Black people may affect clearance of crimes involving Black victims  (Phys.org) California sheriff to stop sharing license-plate data after settlem...

FBI crime data mess, co-responder pilot program, police resignations, Flint puts more police on the streets, stolen guns increases, firearm related violence skyrockets, crime rate, Detroit reports decrease in crime, regional data center in Hampton Roads, well-being in prison, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Delaware Attorney General asks for a federal investigation after lacrosse team bus stop and search  (WTOC) see also:  Body camera footage contradicts sheriff's account of how deputies acted on Delaware State lacrosse bus  (MSN) Pritzker signs slate of public safety bills into law in Peoria, including co-responder pilot program  (WCBU) Mental Models: A Method for Attacking any Policing Problem  (Justice Clearing House) Evanston Police Department had an increased level of resignations in 2021. Here’s what the future looks like  (The Daily Northwestern) Alabama Police Chief Sued Over His Response To Anti-Police Brutality Protests  (TechDirt) Flint police ho...

Gun violence, stolen guns from cars, FBI launches police suicide database, US violent crime rate, racial divide in policing, gun violence, analyzing body cam footage, lack of data hinders policy efforts, freedom of the database, federal solitary confinement, and more... POLICE CONDUCT BPD looks to improve service, accountability with tracking program  (Bakersfield.com) NYC Mayor Eric Adams names younger brother deputy NYPD commissioner, raising more concerns about conflicts of interest  (The Grio) Burbank Police are Improving Crime Measurement and Reporting  (MyBurbank.com) The American racial divide in fear of the police  (Wiley Online Library) see also:  The pandemic tanked traffic stops in 2020 — but racial disparities remained, data shows  (VTDigger) Ann Arbor may use federal stimulus to launch unarmed 911 response program  (MLive) see also:  APD 311 diversion helps with emergencies, creates backlog for low-level crimes  (KXAN) FBI Launch...

Officers tired of overtime, police use data driven decision making, K9 disobedience, dangerous domestic violence calls highlight need for reform, police tech and the connection to transparency, lack of data hinders studies on police, Dallas Police remove data from open data portal, data transparency builds trust in police, access to body cam footage, prison banking practices,  and more... POLICE CONDUCT Head of Illinois police training agency fired over improper law enforcement certification given to son of legendary investor Warren Buffett  (Chicago Tribune) Tired of overtime, officer announces resignation on police radio  (WABI) Disobedient: Police K-9 disobedience caught on camera  (WTSP) Chicago Police face stricter reporting rules under settlement of decade-long dispute over inequitable deployment of officers  (Chicago Sun Times) Police use data driven decision making to protect Tucson  (KGUN 9) Lincoln Police mental health coordinator improving depart...

Arnold Ventures, a non-profit with focus on criminal justice reform, recently published the report “Because the Road to Reform is Paved by Data. CAMPAIGN FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE DATA MODERNIZATION” . The report notes that effective police reform relies on gathering data in order to effectively assess the criminal justice system and support reforms and restore public trust. SpotCrime is no stranger to navigating the bureaucratic and technical divide between police agencies when it comes to collecting public crime data on a national level. All police database infrastructures are made up of different systems, making it hard to collect data on a national level. The report makes 6 recommendations, that we’ve included below, and outlines a total of 36 action items for anyone willing to tackle this problem and make data collection across jurisdictional lines seamlessly easy. The report asks for the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) to act as the overarching power to enforce data standards and pr...